Fixing Overwatch not launching on Windows 10

February 8, 2023

Overwatch is one of the popular multiplayer shooting games among the huge gaming community. This game is known to provide gamers with the best gameplay and graphics that elevate the gaming experience to a whole new level. However, gamers are complaining that Overwatch won't launch on their PC. This issue is a serious one as many users are facing Overwatch not launching PC errors day in and day out. But don't worry! Read this article until the end to fix the Overwatch game launch error using the mentioned methods.

How to Fix Overwatch Won't Launch on Windows 10

Let's first look at some of the reasons why this Overwatch launch error doesn't occur in the first place.

Some missing or corrupted game files can cause this error to occur on your PC.
For some users, the problem with launching the game was caused by the Game DVR feature. Your computer may also fall prey to complications arising from this feature.
Old and broken graphics drivers can also be the reason why Overwatch says you are having a game launch error on your computer.
Sometimes antivirus programs cause this problem unknowingly.

So, now let's go directly to the solutions to fix this problem immediately and enjoy playing Overwatch again.

Method 1: Restart your computer

This method is one of the most common, as it allows you to solve your problem without delving into complex solutions and without wasting time on them.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard and select the Power option.

2. Then select the Restart option to restart your computer.

3. Restart the Overwatch game on your PC to make sure Overwatch won't launch. The problem with the PC still occurs or not.

Method 2: Run Overwatch in Compatibility Mode

Several users have noticed that running Overwatch in Compatibility Mode resolves the Overwatch launch issue. Read and follow the steps below to do the same on your PC.

1. Right-click the Battle.net application shortcut on the desktop and select Open File Location from the context menu.

2. Right-click the Overwatch Launcher folder again and select Properties from the context menu.

3. Click the Compatibility tab.

4. In the "Compatibility Mode" section, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and select Windows 7 from the drop-down menu.

5. Click Apply > OK to save your changes.

Method 3: Disable Game DVR Feature

The Game DVR feature allows users to record any gameplay they want and also take as many screenshots. But this feature can affect the performance of the game and even prevent it from running. So, follow the next steps to fix Overwatch launch issue.

1. Press the Windows + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

2. Type regedit and press the Enter key to open the Registry Editor window.

3. Click "Yes" in the "User Account Control" pop-up window.

4. On the Registry Editor page, navigate to the path as shown.

ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSystemGameConfigStore

4. Double-click the GameDVR_Enabled option in the GameConfigStore folder.

5. Then in the Edit DWORD Value popup window, change the data value to 0 and click OK to save the changes.

6. Now double click the GameDVR_FSEBehaviorMode setting. Change the data value to 0 in the popup window and click OK to save the changes.

7. Again we go along the following path:

ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftPolicyManagerdefaultApplicationManagementAllowGameDVR

8. Double-click the "Value" option. Set the Value to 0 in the Edit DWORD popup and click OK to complete the changes.

9. After all this, turn off the Game DVR and close the windows of the registry editor.

10. Restart your computer and check if the error in Overwatch is fixed.

Method 4: Repair Overwatch Game Files

If some of the core game files are corrupted or missing from the game, you may encounter Overwatch won't start PC error. In this case, you will have to scan and repair the game files in order to completely fix this problem on your computer. Follow the instructions below to do so.

1. Launch the Blizzard Battle.net app.

2. Select Surveillance and click Options.

3. In the drop-down menu, click "Scan and Repair" as shown in the figure.

4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the process and restart the game.

Method 5: Update the graphics driver

Sometimes outdated graphics drivers cause Overwatch to crash on startup. These drivers also affect the performance of other games on your computer, preventing your computer from opening certain applications. However, you can fix it by updating said old drivers by installing the latest graphics drivers on your computer. Read and follow our 4 Ways to Update Graphics Drivers in Windows 10 guide to understand how. After successfully updating the drivers, you should be able to launch Overwatch and play it without any obstacles.

Method 6: Update Windows

You can also update the Windows OS on your PC to make sure it has the latest packages installed. If you're having trouble running other apps with Overwatch, you'll need to update your operating system. Any bugs or crashes related to running Overwatch will be fixed with this update. Follow our article on how to download and install the latest Windows 10 update. This article will give you a detailed demonstration of the Windows OS update process. After completing this process, check if you have fixed the problem or not.

Method 7: Temporarily disable your antivirus (if applicable)

Sometimes antivirus programs identify certain applications as being harmful to your PC. Thus, they prevent applications from running and isolate them from the desktop. If you notice that Overwatch doesn't launch every time you try to open it, this could be the reason. Since antiviruses are designed to protect the PC from unknown and malicious applications, they are not used in this case. Thus, you will have to disable your antivirus for a while to check if this is the cause of said problem. Read our guide on how to temporarily disable your antivirus in Windows 10 to perform this method on your computer and fix the problem permanently.

Method 8: Remove the msvcp140.dll extension

In some cases, Overwatch users have noticed that the msvcp140.dll application extension prevents the game from launching and running properly. So, if you uninstall this extension, you will be able to play and enjoy the game of Overwatch just like before.

1. Type msvcp140.dll in the Windows search bar and click "Open File Location".

2. Here, right-click on the highlighted msvcp140.dll file extension and select Delete from the context menu.

3. Now restart the game on your PC.

Method 9: Delete Game Cache

If the Overwatch game cache is corrupted, you will definitely experience a launch issue as the game will not load properly in this case. Games store some temporary files on the PC for faster loading and processing of the game every time you launch it. Thus, these files will get corrupted, leading to the said problem. Follow the steps below to fix it properly.

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time to open the Task Manager window.

2. Go to the Processes tab and right-click agent.exe or Blizzard Update Client.

3. Then select the "End task" option in the bottom right corner to close the program.

4. Now press the Windows + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

5. Type %Programdata% in this field and press the Enter key on your keyboard.

6. Now locate and right-click on the Blizzard Entertainment folder inside the directory and select "Delete" from the context menu.

7. Restart the game to check if the problem is fixed.

Method 10: Remove Battle.net Tools

The Blizzard Battle.net Tools desktop app can cause this issue due to missing, corrupted, or outdated game folders. So, in this method, we will walk through the steps to remove Battle.net files.

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at the same time to open the Task Manager window.

2. Go to the Processes tab and select agent.exe or Blizzard Update Client.

3. Click the "End task" button in the lower right corner to close the program.

4. Now press the Windows + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

5. Type C:ProgramData in the provided field and press the Enter key on your keyboard.

6. Locate and right-click the Battle.net folder inside the directory and select "Delete" from the context menu.

7. Finally, restart the game.

Method 11: reset the game settings

If you are still facing the issue that Overwatch won’t launch PC after trying all the methods mentioned above, then you will have to reset the game settings.

Note. If you reset the game settings, all in-game settings will return to their default values.

1. Launch the Blizzard Battle.net app on your PC.

2. Now click on the Blizzard logo and select the "Settings" option from the list.

3. Here go to GameSettings and select Reset In-Game Options as shown below.

4. Finally, click "Finish" to reset the settings.

Now restart the game and check if the issue with running Overwatch on PC is fixed for you or not. If the problem persists, you can reinstall the game on your computer.

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We hope you were able to fix the Overwatch won't launch error on Windows 10 with the methods mentioned above. You can let us know about any questions about this article or suggestions about any other topic you want us to write an article about. Leave them in the comments section below so we know.